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Looking for the Perfect Weekend?

Looking for the perfect weekend? A weekend to bring a husband and wife closer together? A WWME weekend is exactly what you are looking for. At a Worldwide Marriage Encounter, the original and continually updated marriage enrichment program, you get away from the distractions of everyday life and focus on each other. Instead of simply listening to lectures about how to improve your marriage, you will actually be improving your marriage. Read how other couples have described how the weekend has changed their marriages.

WWME 2012 Convention

WWME News

San Bernardino, CA – The 2015 state winners of the fifth annual Longest Married Couple Project, sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) , the
original faith based marriage enrichment program in this country, were announced today.

“We are truly excited and amazed at the number of couples married 70 years or more and there were several with 60 plus years of marriage,” explained Ron
and Judy Pekny, the United States Leadership Team for WWME. The Peknys serve with Fr. Rocky Grimard as the U.S. Leadership Team.

“There were over 375 nominations submitted,” the Peknys explained, adding, “And, this year we had couples married much shorter times who wanted to make the
Longest Married Couple Project something they could focus on in their marriages for the future.”

The 2015 longest married couple in the United States, based on the nominations submitted, is Dale & Alice Rockey of Olathe, KS. They are married over
81 years having made their marriage vows on Dec. 29, 1933. The Peknys honored Mr. & Mrs. Rockey in a special ceremony in their hometown of Olathe at
the Good Samaritan Society this past weekend.

As in previous years of the five year old project, individual state winners will be recognized and honored by couples involved with Worldwide Marriage
Encounter over the Valentine’s week and weekend.

This year one of the winning couples, specifically from Texas. is known to many – they are Former President George H.W. and Barbara Bush. They were
nominated in early January 2015 just as they were celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary.

Winners of the project are automatically made members of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Longest Married Couple Project Alumni group. Couples cannot
succeed themselves each year as either national or state winners, thus giving an opportunity to honor other longest married couples across the country.

The Peknys also pointed out that the project is based on nominations received from October 15th the previous year to January 10th of
the current year. “This year another couple was nominated with a longer marriage, but the family declined the honor and asked that it be passed on,” they
said. “We honored that couples’ request and went to Olathe to see the Rockeys and to honor them for their 81 years of marriage.”

The Peknys also pointed out that there were no nominations this year from four states.

The list of the 2015 state winners and their hometowns and wedding dates are as follows:

Alabama

James & Sara Kornegay Jr,
January 29, 1944
70 years

Chelsea, AL

Alaska

Gilbert & Sandra Cragen
August 5, 1961
53 years

Anchorage, AK

Arizona

Lloyd & Lorraine Tomac
May 11, 1953
61 years

Tucson, AZ

Arkansas

Edward & Louise Heinrichs
November 28, 1944
70 years

Fort Smith, AR

California

Louis & Marjorie Renaud
August 10, 1942
72 years

Santa Barbara, CA

Colorado

Paul & Dottie Craig
June 18, 1940
74 years

Colorado Springs, CO

Connecticut

Francis & Mary Santy
August 19, 1940
74 years

Suffield, CT

Delaware

Orville & Margaret Jenkins
December 24, 1942
72 years

Delmar, DE

Florida

Albert & Angela Cassettari.
September 9, 1939
75 years

Nokomis, FL

Georgia

John & Thelma Aitkens
November 14, 1942
72 years

Jesup, GA

Hawaii

Frank & Rosalie Tadda
June 26, 1948
66 years

Mililani, HI

Illinois

Joseph and Dorothy Nigrelli
December 23, 1939
75 years

Geneva, IL

Indiana

Doyte & Mary Kibbey
January 1, 1937
78 years

Matthews, IN

Iowa

Jim & Pearl Trebbien
October 28, 1943
71 years

Milford, IA

Kansas

Pat & Helen Olmsted
December 27, 1943
71 years

Beattie, KS

Kentucky

Agnes & James Macpherson
December 27, 1941
73 years

Louisville, KY

Louisiana

Bill & Corinne Barry
January 28, 1950
64 years

Mandeville, LA

Maine

Roland and Anita LaPointe
September 6, 1948
66 years

Vassalboro, ME

Maryland

Henry & Velma Wiseman
May 8, 1936
78 years

Solomons, MD

Massachusetts -

Harry & Julia McGuire
July 4, 1939
75 years

Plymouth MA

Michigan

George & Evon Goscinski
March 12. 1942
72 years

Elsie MI

Minnesota

Herbert & Delores Riley
August 30, 1941
73 years

Bemidji, MN

Missouri

Martin & Vera Mosbauer
June 24, 1939
75 years

Independence, MO

Mississippi

Hubert & Marcella Langford
September 2, 1943
71 years

Meridian, MS

Montana

Robert & Agnes Cremer
June 21, 1941
73 years

Miles City, MT

Nebraska

Donald & Bethel Cunningham
March 30, 1944
70 years

Fullerton, NE

Nevada

Jim & Helen Freeman
January 8, 1944
71 years

Yerington, NV

New Jersey

Michael & Marie Zimbile
November 7, 1943
71 years

Brick NJ

New Mexico

Robert & Roma Lovato
September 18, 1949
65 years

Artesia, NM

New York

Walter & Babs Sonneborn
December 21, 1941
73 years

Scarsdale, NY

North Carolina

Daniel & Willie Williams
August 17, 1937
77 years

Charlotte, N.C

Ohio

Winton & Dolores Arnold
February 1, 1935
79 years

Caledona, OH

Oklahoma

Gordon & Pauline Spangler
April 13, 1941
73 years

Chickasha, OK

Oregon

Wendle & Joyce Thomas
May 24, 1943
71 years

Corvallis, OR

Pennsylvania

Paul & Flora Mellish
June 9, 1938
76 years

East Brady, PA

Rhode Island

Bill & Helen Shields
July 30, 1955
59 years

Johnston, RI

South Carolina

John & Jayne Walker
September 1, 1945
69 years

Clover, SC

Tennessee

Chet & Marilyn Wegenka
November 18, 1950
64 years

Mt. Juilet, TN

Texas

George H.W. and Barbara Bush
January 6, 1945
70 years

College Park, TX

Utah

Chester and Esther Memmott
November 23, 1936
78 years

Scipio, Utah

Vermont

Robert & Geraldine Sausville
April 19, 1942
72 years

Bennington, VT

Virginia

Theodore & Edna Korol
May 31, 1940
74 years

Charlottesville, VA

Washington -

Clarence & Ruth Rogers
June 18, 1939
75 years

Yakima, WA

West Virginia

Thomas and Pauline Feorene
October 23, 1948
66 years

Fairmont, WV

Wisconsin

Herman & Madeline Neinas
October 14, 1936
78 years

New Franken, WI

Wyoming

Frank & Viola Stulc
November 21, 1945
69 years

Basin, WY

Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 45 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment
program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented
at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be
presented at facilities where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in almost 100 countries, which makes it the largest
pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other. It
offers tools for building and maintaining a strong, Christian marriage in today’s world. To learn more about the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends
online go to wwme.org or contact the WWME Office at (909) 863-9963.

San Bernardino, CA - Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME), the original faith based marriage enrichment program in the United States, announced today the national winners of the 2015 Longest Married Couple Project. They are Dale & Alice Rockey of Olathe, KS. The Rockeys have been married 81 years as of Dec. 29, 2014.

Over 375 nominations were received for this year’s project. The winners from individual states will be announced on Monday, Feb. 9, 2015. This is the fifth year for the nationwide project.

"It is truly a privilege and honor to recognize Dale and Alice Rockey for their commitment to marriage," said Ron and Judy Pekny, the United States Ecclesial Team for WWME. "We are looking forward to personally recognizing them at the beginning of the Valentine’s week on Feb. 7th in their hometown of Olathe," they added. The Peknys serve with Fr. Rocky Grimard, as the U.S. leadership for the marriage enrichment movement.

The Rockeys were married Dec. 29, 1933. They met in a small Nebraska town when they were teenagers. They were dating other people, but one Sunday Dale spotted Alice on the street and asked if she would like to go for a ride. The rest, as the Rockeys say, is history – marriage history.

The Kansas couple achieved the honor of being the Longest Married Couple based on nominations submitted to Worldwide Marriage Encounter beginning in October of last year. The nomination project ended on January 10th.

The Peknys pointed out that the project is based on nominations received from October 10th the previous year to January 10th of the current year. “We realize there could be couples married longer, but we did not receive their nominations from friends or family during the nominating period or they chose not to be recognized for their marriage achievements,” they said.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter created the project to highlight marriage in America and to show young couples that marriage really can go the distance. "What an inspiration Mr. & Mrs. Rockey are to all of us. They made a commitment to each other 81 years ago and they have kept that commitment. They truly are an inspiration and sign of hope to all of us," the Peknys said.

The national winners have five sons along with grandchildren, great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren. The presentation of gifts and acknowledgments to the Rockeys will be made on Feb. 7th at the Good Samaritan Society in Olathe.

State winners from across the country will be presented certificates of achievement and other recognitions by Worldwide Marriage Encounter couples during Valentine's week as well as the rest of the month.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 46 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at facilities where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in almost 100 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other. It offers tools for building and maintaining a strong, Christian marriage in today's world. To learn more about Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends go online to wwme.org or contact the WWME Office at 909/332-7309.